Valve



H. D. CARR July 26, 1949.

VALVE 2 Sheefos-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1945 5 7 3 32 l 7 Ill aw I I 4 O. I. I 2 5 2 4 2 I 2 g 8 6 m w 2 2 I w v 5 z m 4 a I mm 3 0 4 3 2| 1 3 \I IL 2. l 2 7 flm 5..\

' INVENTOR.

Fl (5 A HAROLD DAVID CARR ATTORNEY.

H.- D. CARR VALVE July 26, 1949. 1

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 13, 1.945

INVENTOR. HAROLD DAVID CARR ATTORNEY.

Patented July 26, 1949 EN T OFFICE VALVE 7 Harold David Carr, Milwaukie, O-reg.

Application April 13, 1945, Serial No. 588,135

invention relates to valve mechanism for controlling the admission of actuating fluid into a cylinder or other operating device and controlling the emission of such fluid during the exhaust period.

More specifically, this invention relates to single or double control valves of the type described in United States Letters .Patent No. 1,645,751, issued October 18, 1927., to G. Grafiinberger, entitled Valve, to which reference is made.

In the actual operation of control valves of the type illustrated in the above mentioned patent, No. 1,645,751, when used particularly in connection with steam cylinders, I have found that after a short time loss oi steam begins to take place through the packing around the main valve members and that this constant loss of steam becomes considerab1e unless such packing is frequently renewed.

The principal object of the present invention is to eliminate entirely the necessity of such packing aroundthe. main valve members and at the same time to. prevent any appreciable loss or steam, or other actuating fluid, through the closed valve.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved valve of the type above indicated which will be. closed by spring action but which will not be diflicult to open in spite of the omission of sealing means at the bottom of the main valve member.

An. additional object is to provide a substantially leak-proof valve of the type indicated which will be simple and practical and comparatively inexpensive to construct, and which will involve no particular maintenance problems.

These objects and other advantages I attain by including in my improved valve a supplemental spring-controlled secondary or interior valve, and by otherwise constructing the entire valve as hereinafter briefly described.

In the following description reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1'is a vertical section of a double acting valve embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a similar section of a single valve embodying my invention;

Figure 3 is a horizontal transverse section cor responding to line--3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a similar horizontal section corresponding to line 4 -4 of Figure 2.

Referring first toFigure 1, the double acting valve illustrated in this figure comprises a main valve body which houses the mechanism for both valve assemblies. The valve body is pro- 2 Claims. (Cl. 27721) vided with a pair of bottom caps ll and a pair of head caps I2. Packing holding member's l3 are mounted in the head caps l'2..

A lower partition Ill extending transversely across the body or housing to forms a bottom chamber I! which constitutes. the inlet chamber. The inlet port 20 is located 'in this chamber I7 and through this port the steam or other actuating fluid for both valve units enters.

Similarly, an upper transversely extending partition l5 forms an upper. chamber l9 which serves as the exhaust. chamber for both valve units and in which the exhaust port 23 is located. The space between the horizontal partitions Hi and [.5 is divided by the vertical wall [5 so as to form two intermediate chambers 18, one for each valve assembly. Each chamber Ill is connected by a port 21 to opposite ends of a double acting cylinder (not shown).

The two valve assemblies are identical. Each includes a main valve member 24 which is formed with a hollow cylindrical lower portion 38. The valve member 24 has a main valve surface 25 which, when the valve is in closed position, engages the main valve-seat 26 formed in the horizontal partition 14-. The cylindrical lower por-- tion 38 of the valve. member slides in. a boss 41' formed within the. bottom cap ll. A main valve spring 39 exerts a force tending to hold the main valve surface 25 against the valve seat 26.

Above each main valve member a reciprocal exhaust pipe 32 is slidahly mounted. Each reciprocal exhaust pipe 3.2 is secured at the top to a cap 34 to which is attaoheda stem 36 extending up through the packing holding member it. Each exhaust pipe 32 has a pair of outlet ports 22 which open into the main exhaust chamber is. A spring 35 acts to keep each exhaust pipe 32 in raised position when the stem 36 is not pressed downwardly by the control lever 31.

The lower end of each exhaust pipe is formed with a beveled or valve surface 21, and the top of each main valve member 24 is formed with a corresponding valve seat 28 enabling the bottom of the exhaust pipe to act as an. exhaust valve. Thus, when the exhaust; pipe is "in the lowered position, shown on the left in Figure 1, with the surface 21 against the valve seat 28, the exhaust valve is closed. Similarly, when the exhaust pipe is in the normal raised position, shown on the right in Figure 1, the exhaust port will be open and the steam or other actuating fluid in chamber I3 on the right can pass up into the exhaust pipe and through the outlet ports 22 into the exhaust chamber [9 and thence out through exhaust port 23.

Each main valve member 24 is provided with a central bore or vent channel which is flared at the bottom, as shown at 30 in Figure 1, to provide a valve seat for an interior supplemental valve 29. The stem 3! of this interior valve 29 extends up through the central bore and is of smaller diameter than the bore. The stem Si is lon enough to extend above the top of the main valve member 24. A spider 33 is secured to the inside of the exhaust pipe 32 near the bottom, and is so positioned with respect to the top end of the stem iii of the interior valve 29, that when the exhaust pipe 32 is lowered the spider 33 will engage the stem 3| before the exhaust pipe engages the top of the main valve member. An inner spring 40 bears against the interior valve 29 and keeps the same in closed position except when the spider 33 presses down on the interior valve stem 3i.

When the exhaust pipe is in the normal raised position shown on the right in Figure 1, the main valve member 24 and the interior valve 29 are both in closed positions, shutting oii all passage of steam or other actuating iiuid from the inlet chamber I! to the corresponding intermediate chamber l3. No packing is required between the boss 4| and the cylindrical lower portion 38 of the main valve member because it does not matter if some of the actuating fluid does pass into the interior of the cylindrical portion 38 since the closed interior valve 28 will prevent the steam or other actuating fluid from escaping therefrom. When it is desired to open the main valve, however, the engagement of-the spider 33 with the stem 3| of the interior valve first opens the interior valve. This permitssome of the steam or other actuating fluid which has collected within the cylindrical portion 38 to escape momentarily and this releases the pressure within the cylindrical portion 38, thereby enabling the main valve 24 to be opened without any great effort and preventing the overbalancing of the valve. It will be apparent that if the interior valve were not first opened, or if the main valve member were made without any central bore, the force required to open the main valve would be so great as to make such entire valve mechanism impractical. On the other hand, if the main valve member is made with a central bore but without any interior valve closing the same when the valve is in closed position, it would then be necessary to provide packing between the boss ll and the lower cylindrical portion 38 to prevent the escape of steam or other actuating fluid when the main valve is in normal closed position. Thus it will be noted that such packing is an essential requirement with the valve described in Patent No. 1,645,751 above referred to, and I have found by experience that when the valve constructed exactly as described in that patent is used to control the passage of steam into a double acting cylinder, it is difiicult to prevent a constant and appreciable waste of steam even though the packing is frequently replaced.

Figure 2 illustrates a slightly modified construction of my invention in a single acting valve. In this construction the valve housing 55 is formed with oppositely positioned inlet and outlet ports-54 and 55. When the main valve member 59 is inthe closed position shown in Figure 2, with the main valve surface 60 against its valve seat 6!, the passage of steam or other actuating fluid past the main valve is shut ofi.

With the slidable exhaust pipe 52 in the normal raised position, shown in Figure 2, exhaust can take place through the exhaust pipe, escape ports 51, and main exhaust port 56. The construction and operation of the exhaust pipe 52 are the same as previously described. The spring 58 keeps the exhaust pipe in normal raised position except when it is lowered by the operation of the control lever 65. The spider- 53 (see also Fig. 4), is mounted near the bottom of the slidable exhaust pipe 52 as usual.

The top of the main valve member 59 is formed to provide a seat 61 for the bottom 66 of the exhaust pipe 52. The main valve member 59 is provided with the interior valve 62, the stem 63 of which is adapted to be engaged by the spider 53, in the same manner as previously explained.

Instead of separate springs for the main valve and the interior valve I have found that it is possible and practical to use a single spring 64 to keep both main and interior valves in normal closed position if the main valve is of only moderate size. The single spring 64 in this case engages the interior valve 62 with suflicient force to cause the interior valve to push the main valve against its valve seat 6| and hold it there whenever the main and interior valves are not en gaged by the exhaust pipe.

No packing is required between the cylindrical bottom portion of the main valve member and the surrounding boss on the inside of the bottom cap 5!. The construction shown in Figure 2, therefore, operates similarly to that shown in Figure 1 and accomplishes the objects of my invention. Whether a single spring is to be used for both the main valve and the interior supplemental valve, or whether two springs are to be used, is a matter which will depend largely upon the size of the main valve member.

Other minor modifications in the construction of the valves and other parts of associated structures which are used for carrying out my invention might be made without departing from the general principle of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a fluid valve mechanism of the character described, a main valve body having a lower inlet chamber, an upper outlet chamber and an exhaust chamber, inlet and outlet ports'connecte'd to said inlet and. outlet chambers respectively, an exhaust port for said exhaust chamber, a partition wall between said inlet and outlet chambers, an opening through said partition wall, a main valve member located in said opening and adapted, when in closed position, to close said opening the top of said main valve member extending into saidoutlet chamber, said valve member having a hollow cylindrical portion extending downwardly into said inlet chamber, a cylindrical wall in said inlet chamber acting as a guideway for said hollow cylindrical portion of said valve member, a vent channel extending through said valve member, an interior supplemental valve controlling said vent channel and adapted, when in closed position, to prevent the passage of fluid from said hollow cylindrical portion upwardly through said main valve member, a spring in said hollow cylindrical portion engaging said interior supplemental valve and pipe being in axial alinement with said main valve member, the bottom end of said exhaust pipe having an annular rim adapted to seat on the top of said main valve member and constituting with said main valve member an exhaust valve in said outlet chamber controlling the passage of fluid from said outlet chamber to said exhaust chamber, said exhaust pipe normally held in raised position above said main valve member, means for moving said exhaust pipe downwardly into contact with said main valve member and for causing said exhaust pipe to push said main valve member down into open position, means associated with said exhaust pipe for engaging said interior supplemental valve when said exhaust pipe moves downwardly to cause said exhaust pipe to open said interior supplemental valve before said exhaust pipe pushes said main valve member into open position, whereby when said exhaust pipe is in full raised position fluid from said outlet chamber will pass through said exhaust valve and pipe to said exhaust chamber and said main valve member and said interior supplemental valve will be in closed position preventing any escape of fluid from said inlet chamber into said outlet chamber, and whereby downward movement of said exhaust pipe will first open said interior supplemental valve and close said exhaust valve for said outlet chamber before opening said main valve member to permit fluid to pass from said inlet into said outlet chamber.

2. A fluid valve mechanism of the character described including a main valve body having a lower inlet chamber, an upper outlet chamber and an exhaust chamber, inlet and outlet ports connected to said inlet and outlet chambers respectively, an exhaust port for said exhaust chamber, a partition wall between said inlet and outlet chambers, an opening through said partition wall, a main valve member located in said opening and adapted, when in closed position, to close said opening the top of said main valve member extending into said outlet chamber, said valve member having a hollow cylindrical portion extending downwardly into said inlet chamber, a boss in said inlet chamber acting as a guideway for said hollow cylindrical portion of said valve member, a vent channel extending through said valve member, an interior supplemental valve controlling said vent channel and adapted, when in closed position, to prevent the passage of fluid from said hollow cylindrical portion upwardly through said main valve member, the stem of said interior valve extending up through said channel and beyond the top of said main valve member, a spring in said hollow cy- 6 lindrical portion engaging said interior supplemental valve and exerting a force to keep said interior valve, and with it said main valve member, in closed positions, a slidably-mounted exhaust pipe extending from said exhaust chamber into said outlet chamber, said exhaust pipe having an outlet discharging into said exhaust chamber, said exhaust pipe being in axial alinement with said main valve member, the bottom end of said exhaust pipe having an annular rim adapted to seat on the top of said main valve member and constituting with said main valve member an exhaust valve in said outlet chamber controlling the passage of fluid from said outlet chamber to said exhaust chamber, spring means for keeping said exhaust pipe normally in raised position above said main valve member, means for moving said exhaust pipe downwardly against the force of said latter mentioned spring means into contact with said main valve member and for causing said exhaust pipe to push said main valve member down into Open position, a spider located within said exhaust pipe for engaging the stem of said interior supplemental valve when said exhaust pipe moves downwardly to cause said exhaust pipe to open said interior supplemental valve before said exhaust pipe pushes said main valve member into open position, whereby when said exhaust pipe is in full raised position fluid from said outlet chamber will pass through said exhaust valve and pipe to said exhaust chamber and said main valve member and said interior supplemental valve will be in closed position preventing any escape of fluid from said inlet chamber into said outlet chamber, and whereby downward movement of said exhaust pipe will first open said interior valve and close said exhaust valve for said outlet chamber before opening said main valve member to permit fluid to pass from said inlet into said outlet chamber.

HAROLD DAVID CARR.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 673,234 Boothman Apr. 30, 1901 848,999 Kratzenstein Apr. 2, 1907 915,467 McCutcheon Mar. 16, 1909 935,842 Foley Oct. 5, 1909 2,370,182 Morrow Feb. 27, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 389,501 Great Britain 1933 

